System, method and computer program product for transferring unregistered callers to a registration process

ABSTRACT

A system, method and computer program product are provided for handling unregistered callers in a voice recognition framework. Initially, it is determined whether a user is registered. If it is determined that the user is not registered, a registration process is executed. Once registered, utterances may be received from the user and recognized for the purpose of providing a service to the user.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/802,394 filed on Mar.9, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,843

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to speech recognition systems, and moreparticularly to providing services using speech recognition.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Techniques for accomplishing automatic speech recognition (ASR) are wellknown. Among known ASR techniques are those that use grammars. A grammaris a representation of the language or phrases expected to be used orspoken in a given context. In one sense, then, ASR grammars typicallyconstrain the speech recognizer to a vocabulary that is a subset of theuniverse of potentially-spoken words; and grammars may includesubgrammars. An ASR grammar rule can then be used to represent the setof “phrases” or combinations of words from one or more grammars orsubgrammars that may be expected in a given context. “Grammar” may alsorefer generally to a statistical language model (where a modelrepresents phrases), such as those used in language understandingsystems.

ASR systems have greatly improved in recent years as better algorithmsand acoustic models are developed, and as more computer power can bebrought to bear on the task. An ASR system running on an inexpensivehome or office computer with a good microphone can take free-formdictation, as long as it has been pre-trained for the speaker's voice.Over the phone, and with no speaker training, a speech recognitionsystem needs to be given a set of speech grammars that tell it whatwords and phrases it should expect. With these constraints asurprisingly large set possible utterances can be recognized (e.g., aparticular mutual fund name out of thousands). Recognition over mobilephones in noisy environments does require more tightly pruned andcarefully crafted speech grammars, however. Today there are manycommercial uses of ASR in dozens of languages, and in areas as disparateas voice portals, finance, banking, telecommunications, and brokerages.

Advances are also being made in speech synthesis, or text-to-speech(TTS). Many of today's TTS systems still sound like “robots”, and can behard to listen to or even at times incomprehensible. However, waveformconcatenation speech synthesis is now being deployed. In this technique,speech is not completely generated from scratch, but is assembled fromlibraries of pre-recorded waveforms. The results are promising.

In a standard speech recognition/synthesis system, a database ofutterances is maintained for administering a predetermined service. Inone example of operation, a user may utilize a telecommunication networkto communicate utterances to the system. In response to suchcommunication, the utterances are recognized utilizing speechrecognition, and processing takes place utilizing the recognizedutterances. Thereafter, synthesized speech is outputted in accordancewith the processing. In one particular application, a user may verballycommunicate a street address to the speech recognition system, anddriving directions may be returned utilizing synthesized speech.

Problems may exist when administrating a speech recognition/synthesissystem such as the one set forth hereinabove. For example, a user maycall and request a service that requires more information associatedwith the user before the service can be delivered. For example, aservice may require payment. Therefore, in certain situations, there maybe a need for information, i.e. billing address, credit card number,etc., before the service can be rendered.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A system, method and computer program product are provided for handlingunregistered callers in a voice recognition framework. Initially, it isdetermined whether a user is registered. If it is determined that theuser is not registered, a registration process is executed. Onceregistered, utterances may be received from the user and recognized forthe purpose of providing a service to the user.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the registration process mayinclude the collection of information. As an option, the information mayinclude at least one phone number of the user, a gender of the user,billing information, an address of the user, a city in which the userresides, and/or preferences of the user. In one aspect of the presentinvention, the preferences may include, personalization information,data relating to a stock portfolio of the user, and sports of interestto the user.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the information may beentered by the user utilizing a computer coupled to a network, i.e. theInternet. In another embodiment, the information may be entered verballyutilizing a telephone. In still another embodiment, the information maybe entered verbally by way of an attendant.

It should be noted that the information may be used when providing theservice by modifying, enhancing, etc. the same. As an option, promotioninformation may be provided to the user during the registration process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary platform on which one embodiment of thepresent invention may be implemented;

FIG. 2 shows a representative hardware environment associated with thecomputer systems of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method for handling unregistered callers in a voicerecognition framework;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the method for registering a user,in accordance with the process of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating the manner in which VoiceXMLfunctions, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary platform 150 on which the presentinvention may be implemented. The present platform 150 is capable ofsupporting voice applications that provide unique business services.Such voice applications may be adapted for consumer services or internalapplications for employee productivity.

The present platform of FIG. 1 provides an end-to-end solution thatmanages a presentation layer 152, application logic 154, informationaccess services 156, and telecom infrastructure 159. With the instantplatform, customers can build complex voice applications through a suiteof customized applications and a rich development tool set on anapplication server 160. The present platform 150 is capable of deployingapplications in a reliable, scalable manner, and maintaining the entiresystem through monitoring tools.

The present platform 150 is multi-modal in that it facilitatesinformation delivery via multiple mechanisms 162, i.e. Voice, WirelessApplication Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML),Facsimile, Electronic Mail, Pager, and Short Message Service (SMS). Itfurther includes a VoiceXML interpreter 164 that is fully compliant withthe VoiceXML 1.0 specification, written entirely in Java®, and supportsNuance® SpeechObjects 166.

Yet another feature of the present platform 150 is its modulararchitecture, enabling “plug-and-play” capabilities. Still yet, theinstant platform 150 is extensible in that developers can create theirown custom services to extend the platform 150. For further versatility,Java® based components are supported that enable rapid development,reliability, and portability. Another web server 168 supports aweb-based development environment that provides a comprehensive set oftools and resources which developers may need to create their owninnovative speech applications.

Support for SIP and SS7 (Signaling System 7) is also provided. BackendServices 172 are also included that provide value added functionalitysuch as content management 180 and user profile management 182. Stillyet, there is support for external billing engines 174 and integrationof leading edge technologies from Nuance®, Oracle®, Cisco®, NaturalMicrosystems®, and Sun Microsystems®.

More information will now be set forth regarding the application layer154, presentation layer 152, and services layer 156.

Application Layer (154)

The application layer 154 provides a set of reusable applicationcomponents as well as the software engine for their execution. Throughthis layer, applications benefit from a reliable, scalable, and highperforming operating environment. The application server 160automatically handles lower level details such as system management,communications, monitoring, scheduling, logging, and load balancing.Some optional features associated with each of the various components ofthe application layer 154 will now be set forth.

Application Server (160)

-   -   A high performance web/JSP server that hosts the business and        presentation logic of applications.    -   High performance, load balanced, with failover.    -   Contains reusable application components and ready to use        applications.    -   Hosts Java Servlets and JSP's for custom applications.    -   Provides easy to use taglib access to platform services.        VXML Interpreter (164)    -   Executes VXML applications    -   VXML 1.0 compliant    -   Can execute applications hosted on either side of the firewall.    -   Extensions for easy access to system services such as billing.    -   Extensible—allows installation of custom VXML tag libraries and        speech objects.    -   Provides access to SpeechObjects 166 from VXML.    -   Integrated with debugging and monitoring tools.    -   Written in Java®.        Speech Objects Server (166)    -   Hosts SpeechObjects based components.    -   Provides a platform for running SpeechObjects based        applications.    -   Contains a rich library of reusable SpeechObjects.        Services Layer (156)

The services layer 156 simplifies the development of voice applicationsby providing access to modular value-added services. These backendmodules deliver a complete set of functionality, and handle low levelprocessing such as error checking. Examples of services include thecontent 180, user profile 182, billing 174, and portal management 184services. By this design, developers can create high performing,enterprise applications without complex programming. Some optionalfeatures associated with each of the various components of the serviceslayer 156 will now be set forth.

Content (180)

-   -   Manages content feeds and databases such as weather reports,        stock quotes, and sports.    -   Ensures content is received and processed appropriately.    -   Provides content only upon authenticated request.    -   Communicates with logging service 186 to track content usage for        auditing purposes.    -   Supports multiple, redundant content feeds with automatic        failover.    -   Sends alarms through alarm service 188.        User Profile (182)    -   Manages user database    -   Can connect to a 3^(rd) party user database 190. For example, if        a customer wants to leverage his/her own user database, this        service will manage the connection to the external user        database.    -   Provides user information upon authenticated request.        Alarm (188)    -   Provides a simple, uniform way for system components to report a        wide variety of alarms.    -   Allows for notification (Simply Network Management Protocol        (SNMP), telephone, electronic mail, pager, facsimile, SMS, WAP        push, etc.) based on alarm conditions.    -   Allows for alarm management (assignment, status tracking, etc)        and integration with trouble ticketing and/or helpdesk systems.    -   Allows for integration of alarms into customer premise        environments.        Configuration Management (191)    -   Maintains the configuration of the entire system.        Performance Monitor (193)    -   Provides real time monitoring of entire system such as number of        simultaneous users per customer, number of users in a given        application, and the uptime of the system.    -   Enables customers to determine performance of system at any        instance.        Portal Management (184)    -   The portal management service 184 maintains information on the        configuration of each voice portal and enables customers to        electronically administer their voice portal through the        administration web site.    -   Portals can be highly customized by choosing from multiple        applications and voices. For example, a customer can configure        different packages of applications i.e. a basic package        consisting of 3 applications for $4.95, a deluxe package        consisting of 10 applications for $9.95, and premium package        consisting of any 20 applications for $14.95.        Instant Messenger (192)    -   Detects when users are “on-line” and can pass messages such as        new voicemails and e-mails to these users.        Billing (174)    -   Provides billing infrastructure such as capturing and processing        billable events, rating, and interfaces to external billing        systems.        Logging (186)    -   Logs all events sent over the JMS bus 194. Examples include User        A of Company ABC accessed Stock Quotes, application server 160        requested driving directions from content service 180, etc.        Location (196)    -   Provides geographic location of caller.    -   Location service sends a request to the wireless carrier or to a        location network service provider such as TimesThree® or US        Wireless. The network provider responds with the geographic        location (accurate within 75 meters) of the cell phone caller.        Advertising (197)    -   Administers the insertion of advertisements within each call.        The advertising service can deliver targeted ads based on user        profile information.    -   Interfaces to external advertising services such as Wyndwire®        are provided.        Transactions (198)    -   Provides transaction infrastructure such as shopping cart, tax        and shipping calculations, and interfaces to external payment        systems.        Notification (199)    -   Provides external and internal notifications based on a timer or        on external events such as stock price movements. For example, a        user can request that he/she receive a telephone call every day        at 8 AM.    -   Services can request that they receive a notification to perform        an action at a pre-determined time. For example, the content        service 180 can request that it receive an instruction every        night to archive old content.        3^(rd) Party Service Adapter (190)    -   Enables 3^(rd) parties to develop and use their own external        services. For instance, if a customer wants to leverage a        proprietary system, the 3^(rd) party service adapter can enable        it as a service that is available to applications.        Presentation Layer (152)

The presentation layer 152 provides the mechanism for communicating withthe end user. While the application layer 154 manages the applicationlogic, the presentation layer 152 translates the core logic into amedium that a user's device can understand. Thus, the presentation layer152 enables multi-modal support. For instance, end users can interactwith the platform through a telephone, WAP session, HTML session, pager,SMS, facsimile, and electronic mail. Furthermore, as new “touchpoints”emerge, additional modules can seamlessly be integrated into thepresentation layer 152 to support them.

Telephony Server (158)

The telephony server 158 provides the interface between the telephonyworld, both Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Public SwitchedTelephone Network (PSTN), and the applications running on the platform.It also provides the interface to speech recognition and synthesisengines 153. Through the telephony server 158, one can interface toother 3^(rd) party application servers 190 such as unified messaging andconferencing server. The telephony server 158 connects to the telephonyswitches and “handles” the phone call.

Features of the telephony server 158 include:

-   -   Mission critical reliability.    -   Suite of operations and maintenance tools.    -   Telephony connectivity via ISDN/T1/E1, SIP and SS7 protocols.

DSP-based telephony boards offload the host, providing real-time echocancellation, DTMF & call progress detection, and audiocompression/decompression.

Speech Recognition Server (155)

The speech recognition server 155 performs speech recognition on realtime voice streams from the telephony server 158. The speech recognitionserver 155 may support the following features:

-   -   Carrier grade scalability & reliability    -   Large vocabulary size    -   Industry leading speaker independent recognition accuracy    -   Recognition enhancements for wireless and hands free callers    -   Dynamic grammar support—grammars can be added during run time.    -   Multi-language support    -   Barge in—enables users to interrupt voice applications. For        example, if a user hears “Please say a name of a football team        that you,” the user can interject by saying “Miami Dolphins”        before the system finishes.    -   Speech objects provide easy to use reusable components    -   “On the fly” grammar updates    -   Speaker verification        Audio Manager (157)    -   Manages the prompt server, text-to-speech server, and streaming        audio.        Prompt Server (153)    -   The Prompt server is responsible for caching and managing        pre-recorded audio files for a pool of telephony servers.        Text-to-Speech Server (153)

When pre-recorded prompts are unavailable, the text-to-speech server isresponsible for transforming text input into audio output that can bestreamed to callers on the telephony server 158. The use of the TTSserver offloads the telephony server 158 and allows pools of TTSresources to be shared across several telephony servers. Featuresinclude:

-   -   Support for industry leading technologies such as SpeechWorks®        Speechify® and L&H RealSpeak®.    -   Standard Application Program Interface (API) for integration of        other TTS engines.        Streaming Audio

The streaming audio server enables static and dynamic audio files to beplayed to the caller. For instance, a one minute audio news feed wouldbe handled by the streaming audio server.

-   -   Support for standard static file formats such as WAV and MP3    -   Support for streaming (dynamic) file formats such as Real Audio®        and Windows® Media®.        PSTN Connectivity    -   Support for standard telephony protocols like ISDN, E&M        WinkStart®, and various flavors of E1 allow the telephony server        158 to connect to a PBX or local central office.        SIP Connectivity

The platform supports telephony signaling via the Session InitiationProtocol (SIP). The SIP signaling is independent of the audio stream,which is typically provided as a G.711 RTP stream. The use of a SIPenabled network can be used to provide many powerful features including:

-   -   Flexible call routing    -   Call forwarding    -   Blind & supervised transfers    -   Location/presence services    -   Interoperable with SIP compliant devices such as soft switches    -   Direct connectivity to SIP enabled carriers and networks    -   Connection to SS7 and standard telephony networks (via gateways)        Admin Web Server    -   Serves as the primary interface for customers.    -   Enables portal management services and provides billing and        simple reporting information. It also permits customers to enter        problem ticket orders, modify application content such as        advertisements, and perform other value added functions.    -   Consists of a website with backend logic tied to the services        and application layers. Access to the site is limited to those        with a valid user id and password and to those coming from a        registered IP address. Once logged in, customers are presented        with a homepage that provides access to all available customer        resources.        Other (168)

Web-based development environment that provides all the tools andresources developers need to create their own speech applications.

Provides a VoiceXML Interpreter that is:

-   -   Compliant with the VoiceXML 1.0 specification.    -   Compatible with compelling, location-relevant        SpeechObjects—including grammars for nationwide US street        addresses.    -   Provides unique tools that are critical to speech application        development such as a vocal player. The vocal player addresses        usability testing by giving developers convenient access to        audio files of real user interactions with their speech        applications. This provides an invaluable feedback loop for        improving dialogue design.        WAP, HTML, SMS, Email, Pager, and Fax Gateways    -   Provide access to external browsing devices.    -   Manage (establish, maintain, and terminate) connections to        external browsing and output devices.    -   Encapsulate the details of communicating with external device.    -   Support both input and output on media where appropriate. For        instance, both input from and output to WAP devices.    -   Reliably deliver content and notifications.

FIG. 2 shows a representative hardware environment associated with thevarious systems, i.e. computers, servers, etc., of FIG. 1. FIG. 2illustrates a typical hardware configuration of a workstation inaccordance with a preferred embodiment having a central processing unit210, such as a microprocessor, and a number of other unitsinterconnected via a system bus 212.

The workstation shown in FIG. 2 includes a Random Access Memory (RAM)214, Read Only Memory (ROM) 216, an I/O adapter 218 for connectingperipheral devices such as disk storage units 220 to the bus 212, a userinterface adapter 222 for connecting a keyboard 224, a mouse 226, aspeaker 228, a microphone 232, and/or other user interface devices suchas a touch screen (not shown) to the bus 212, communication adapter 234for connecting the workstation to a communication network (e.g., a dataprocessing network) and a display adapter 236 for connecting the bus 212to a display device 238. The workstation typically has resident thereonan operating system such as the Microsoft Windows NT or Windows/95Operating System (OS), the IBM OS/2 operating system, the MAC OS, orUNIX operating system. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that thepresent invention may also be implemented on platforms and operatingsystems other than those mentioned.

FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 for handling unregistered callers in avoice recognition framework. The present method may be carried utilizingthe platform 150 and hardware set forth in FIGS. 1 and 2, and/or anyother desired architecture.

Initially, in operation 302, a call is received from a user who wishesto obtain the service(s) offered by the voice recognition system. Moreinformation regarding various examples of such services will be setforth hereinafter in greater detail. Information relating to the user isthen looked-up in a database, as indicated in operation 304. As anoption, call description records (CDRs) may be used to access theinformation. For example, a CDR may be used to identify the caller byname, phone number, etc. To this end, such identification may, in turn,be used to look-up further information the database. In the alternative,the information may refer to only the data stored in the CDR. CDRstraditionally provide a record of called numbers, and a date, time,length and so on of each telephone call.

From the information gathered in operation 304, it is determined whethera user is registered in decision 305. To accomplish this, theinformation gathered in operation 304 may be compared against a databaseof registered users, or by way of any other desired technique. If it isdetermined that the user is not registered, a registration process isexecuted in operation 306. Additional descriptions regarding suchregistration process will be set forth in greater detail duringreference to FIG. 4.

Once registered, utterances may be received from the user and recognizedfor the purpose of providing a service to the user. Note operation 308.In use, the information retrieved in operation 304 and the registrationprocess of operation 306 may be used when providing the service bymodifying, enhancing, etc. the same. This may allow the personalizationof the services and/or facilitating additional capabilities.

Examples of the various services that may be provided in operation 306will now be set forth. It should be noted that any services may beafforded per the desires of the user.

The speech recognition system of the present invention may provide aplurality of voice portal applications that can be personalized based ona caller's location, delivered to any device and customized via an opendevelopment platform. Examples of various specific voice portalapplications are set forth in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Nationwide Business Finder - search engine for locatingbusinesses representing popular brands demanded by mobile consumers.Nationwide Driving Directions - point-to-point driving directionsWorldwide Flight Information - up-to-the-minute flight information onmajor domestic and international carriers Nationwide Traffic Updates -real-time traffic information for metropolitan areas Worldwide Weather -updates and extended forecasts throughout the world News - audio feedsproviding the latest national and world headlines, as well as regularupdates for business, technology, finance, sports, health andentertainment news Sports - up-to-the-minute scores and highlights fromthe NFL, Major League Baseball, NHL, NBA, college football, basketball,hockey, tennis, auto racing, golf, soccer and boxing Stock Quotes -access to major indices and all stocks on the NYSE, NASDAQ, and AMEXexchanges Infotainment - updates on soap operas, television dramas,lottery numbers and horoscopes

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the method for registering a user,in accordance with operation 306 of FIG. 3. Prior to the registrationprocess beginning, directions may be given to the user explaining theregistration process and the method by which the user may exit the same.

As shown in operation 402, an account number is received. Such accountnumber may identify the telecommunication carrier from which the userwas transferred to the registration process. The account number mayidentify a “1-800” number, or any other phone from which the user wastransferred.

As an option, a different type of unique user account number may beestablished for the user in order to facilitate future access to thespeech recognition system. Such account number may be used during futuretransactions for allowing the user to access the speech recognitionsystem of the present invention. Moreover, the account number may beused for storing and tracking various information relating to the userfor a more personalized experience.

Further, in operation 404, at least one phone number of the user isretrieved and stored for reference purposes. In an ideal embodiment,multiple numbers are retrieved and stored, i.e. cellular phone number,facsimile number, electronic mail address, etc.

Still yet, a personal identification number (PIN) may be established andverified in operation 406. Such step is important for security purposeswhen the user accesses the present invention in future instances.

Thereafter, various information may be collected in operation 408 ofFIG. 4. As mentioned earlier, the information retrieved during theregistration process 306 may be used when providing the service bymodifying, enhancing, etc. the same.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the registration processcollects information including a gender of the user, an address of theuser, birthday, a city in which the user resides, and/or any other typegeneral purpose data. Still yet, billing information may be receivedincluding a billing address and a method of payment, i.e. credit cardnumber, etc. As an option, preferences of the user may be collected. Inone embodiment of the present invention, the preferences may include,personalization information, data relating to a stock portfolio of theuser, and/or sports of interest to the user.

It should be understood that the information may be entered by the userutilizing any one or more of various possible methods. For example, acomputer coupled to a network, i.e. the Internet, similar to that shownin FIGS. 1 and 2 may be used. In such embodiment, a user interface onthe computer may be used while the user is on the telephone. Such userinterface may take the form of a web-page or the like. Of course, theregistration process need not necessarily occur simultaneously with theprocess of FIG. 3.

In another embodiment, the information may be entered entirely verballyutilizing an automated telephone attendant system. In still anotherembodiment, the information may be entered verbally in real-time by wayof a live attendant.

As yet another option, promotion information may be provided to the userduring the registration process. For example, various promotionsassociated with the services provided by the speech recognition systemmay be offered to the user. In particular, coupons may be distributed,etc. After the registration process is complete, the present embodimentis capable of returning the user to a main menu in order to allow theuser to obtain any desired service. Note operation 410.

The manner in which the user is returned from the registration processmay vary from embodiment to embodiment. By way of example, oneembodiment may monitor key words provided verbally by the user. Upon thereceipt and detection of such key words, the user may be returned fromthe process. As an option, the present embodiment may monitor for suchkey words throughout the entire registration process, and return theuser immediately upon receipt of the keyword.

One embodiment of the present invention may utilize VoiceXML. VoiceXMLis a Web-based markup language for representing human-computer dialogs,similar to HTML. However, while HTML assumes a graphical web browser,with display, keyboard, and mouse, VoiceXML is assumes a “voice browser”with audio output (computer-synthesized and/or recorded), and audioinput (voice and/or keypad tones). VoiceXML leverages the Internet forvoice application development and delivery, greatly simplifying thesedifficult tasks and creating new opportunities.

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustrating the manner in which VoiceXMLfunctions, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Atypical VoiceXML voice browser 500 of today runs on a specialized voicegateway node 502 that is connected both to the public switched telephonenetwork 504 and to the Internet 506. As shown, VoiceXML 508 acts as aninterface between the voice gateway node 502 and the Internet 506.

VoiceXML takes advantage of several trends:

-   -   The growth of the World-Wide Web and of its capabilities.    -   Improvements in computer-based speech recognition and        text-to-speech synthesis.    -   The spread of the WWW beyond the desktop computer.

Voice application development is easier because VoiceXML is ahigh-level, domain-specific markup language, and because voiceapplications can now be constructed with plentiful, inexpensive, andpowerful web application development tools.

VoiceXML is based on XML. XML is a general and highly flexiblerepresentation of any type of data, and various transformationtechnologies make it easy to map one XML structure to another, or to mapXML into other data formats.

VoiceXML is an extensible markup language (XML) for the creation ofautomated speech recognition (ASR) and interactive voice response (IVR)applications. Based on the XML tag/attribute format, the VoiceXML syntaxinvolves enclosing instructions (items) within a tag structure in thefollowing manner:

-   -   < element_name attribute_name=“attribute_value”>    -   ......contained items......    -   < /element_name>

A VoiceXML application consists of one or more text files calleddocuments. These document files are denoted by a “.vxml” file extensionand contain the various VoiceXML instructions for the application. It isrecommended that the first instruction in any document to be seen by theinterpreter be the XML version tag:

-   -   < ?xml version=“1.0”?>

The remainder of the document's instructions should be enclosed by thevxml tag with the version attribute set equal to the version of VoiceXMLbeing used (“1.0” in the present case) as follows:

-   -   < vxml version=“1.0”>

Inside of the <vxml> tag, a document is broken up into discrete dialogelements called forms.

Each form has a name and is responsible for executing some portion ofthe dialog. For example, you may have a form called “mainMenu” thatprompts the caller to make a selection from a list of options and thenrecognizes the response.

A form is denoted by the use of the <form> tag and can be specified bythe inclusion of the id attribute to specify the form's name. This isuseful if the form is to be referenced at some other point in theapplication or by another application. For example, <form id=“welcome”>would indicate in a VoiceXML document the beginning of the “welcome”form.

Following is a list of form items available in one specification ofVoiceXML:

-   -   field items:    -   <field>—gathers input from the user via speech or DTMF        recognition as defined by a grammar    -   <record>—records an audio clip from the user    -   <transfer>—transfers the user to another phone number    -   <object>—invokes a platform-specific object that may gather user        input, returning the result as an ECMAScript object    -   <subdialog>—performs a call to another dialog or document        (similar to a function call), returning the result as an        ECMAScript object    -   control items:    -   <block>—encloses a sequence of statements for prompting and        computation    -   <initial>—controls mixed-initiative interactions within a form

Another preferred embodiment of the present invention is written usingJAVA, C, and the C++ language and utilizes object oriented programmingmethodology. Object oriented programming (OOP) has become increasinglyused to develop complex applications. As OOP moves toward the mainstreamof software design and development, various software solutions requireadaptation to make use of the benefits of OOP. A need exists for theseprinciples of OOP to be applied to a messaging interface of anelectronic messaging system such that a set of OOP classes and objectsfor the messaging interface can be provided.

OOP is a process of developing computer software using objects,including the steps of analyzing the problem, designing the system, andconstructing the program. An object is a software package that containsboth data and a collection of related structures and procedures. Sinceit contains both data and a collection of structures and procedures, itcan be visualized as a self-sufficient component that does not requireother additional structures, procedures or data to perform its specifictask. OOP, therefore, views a computer program as a collection oflargely autonomous components, called objects, each of which isresponsible for a specific task. This concept of packaging data,structures, and procedures together in one component or module is calledencapsulation.

In general, OOP components are reusable software modules which presentan interface that conforms to an object model and which are accessed atrun-time through a component integration architecture. A componentintegration architecture is a set of architecture mechanisms which allowsoftware modules in different process spaces to utilize each otherscapabilities or functions. This is generally done by assuming a commoncomponent object model on which to build the architecture. It isworthwhile to differentiate between an object and a class of objects atthis point. An object is a single instance of the class of objects,which is often just called a class. A class of objects can be viewed asa blueprint, from which many objects can be formed.

OOP allows the programmer to create an object that is a part of anotherobject. For example, the object representing a piston engine is said tohave a composition-relationship with the object representing a piston.In reality, a piston engine comprises a piston, valves and many othercomponents; the fact that a piston is an element of a piston engine canbe logically and semantically represented in OOP by two objects.

OOP also allows creation of an object that “depends from” anotherobject. If there are two objects, one representing a piston engine andthe other representing a piston engine wherein the piston is made ofceramic, then the relationship between the two objects is not that ofcomposition. A ceramic piston engine does not make up a piston engine.Rather it is merely one kind of piston engine that has one morelimitation than the piston engine; its piston is made of ceramic. Inthis case, the object representing the ceramic piston engine is called aderived object, and it inherits all of the aspects of the objectrepresenting the piston engine and adds further limitation or detail toit. The object representing the ceramic piston engine “depends from” theobject representing the piston engine. The relationship between theseobjects is called inheritance.

When the object or class representing the ceramic piston engine inheritsall of the aspects of the objects representing the piston engine, itinherits the thermal characteristics of a standard piston defined in thepiston engine class. However, the ceramic piston engine object overridesthese ceramic specific thermal characteristics, which are typicallydifferent from those associated with a metal piston. It skips over theoriginal and uses new functions related to ceramic pistons. Differentkinds of piston engines have different characteristics, but may have thesame underlying functions associated with it (e.g., how many pistons inthe engine, ignition sequences, lubrication, etc.). To access each ofthese functions in any piston engine object, a programmer would call thesame functions with the same names, but each type of piston engine mayhave different/overriding implementations of functions behind the samename. This ability to hide different implementations of a functionbehind the same name is called polymorphism and it greatly simplifiescommunication among objects.

With the concepts of composition-relationship, encapsulation,inheritance and polymorphism, an object can represent just aboutanything in the real world. In fact, one's logical perception of thereality is the only limit on determining the kinds of things that canbecome objects in object-oriented software. Some typical categories areas follows:

-   -   Objects can represent physical objects, such as automobiles in a        traffic-flow simulation, electrical components in a        circuit-design program, countries in an economics model, or        aircraft in an air-traffic-control system.    -   Objects can represent elements of the computer-user environment        such as windows, menus or graphics objects.    -   An object can represent an inventory, such as a personnel file        or a table of the latitudes and longitudes of cities.    -   An object can represent user-defined data types such as time,        angles, and complex numbers, or points on the plane.

With this enormous capability of an object to represent just about anylogically separable matters, OOP allows the software developer to designand implement a computer program that is a model of some aspects ofreality, whether that reality is a physical entity, a process, a system,or a composition of matter. Since the object can represent anything, thesoftware developer can create an object which can be used as a componentin a larger software project in the future.

If 90% of a new OOP software program consists of proven, existingcomponents made from preexisting reusable objects, then only theremaining 10% of the new software project has to be written and testedfrom scratch. Since 90% already came from an inventory of extensivelytested reusable objects, the potential domain from which an error couldoriginate is 10% of the program. As a result, OOP enables softwaredevelopers to build objects out of other, previously built objects.

This process closely resembles complex machinery being built out ofassemblies and sub-assemblies. OOP technology, therefore, makes softwareengineering more like hardware engineering in that software is builtfrom existing components, which are available to the developer asobjects. All this adds up to an improved quality of the software as wellas an increased speed of its development.

Programming languages are beginning to fully support the OOP principles,such as encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, andcomposition-relationship. With the advent of the C++ language, manycommercial software developers have embraced OOP. C++ is an OOP languagethat offers a fast, machine-executable code. Furthermore, C++ issuitable for both commercial-application and systems-programmingprojects. For now, C++ appears to be the most popular choice among manyOOP programmers, but there is a host of other OOP languages, such asSmalltalk, Common Lisp Object System (CLOS), and Eiffel. Additionally,OOP capabilities are being added to more traditional popular computerprogramming languages such as Pascal.

The benefits of object classes can be summarized, as follows:

-   -   Objects and their corresponding classes break down complex        programming problems into many smaller, simpler problems.    -   Encapsulation enforces data abstraction through the organization        of data into small, independent objects that can communicate        with each other. Encapsulation protects the data in an object        from accidental damage, but allows other objects to interact        with that data by calling the object's member functions and        structures.    -   Subclassing and inheritance make it possible to extend and        modify objects through deriving new kinds of objects from the        standard classes available in the system. Thus, new capabilities        are created without having to start from scratch.    -   Polymorphism and multiple inheritance make it possible for        different programmers to mix and match characteristics of many        different classes and create specialized objects that can still        work with related objects in predictable ways.    -   Class hierarchies and containment hierarchies provide a flexible        mechanism for modeling real-world objects and the relationships        among them.    -   Libraries of reusable classes are useful in many situations, but        they also have some limitations. For example:    -   Complexity. In a complex system, the class hierarchies for        related classes can become extremely confusing, with many dozens        or even hundreds of classes.    -   Flow of control. A program written with the aid of class        libraries is still responsible for the flow of control (i.e., it        must control the interactions among all the objects created from        a particular library). The programmer has to decide which        functions to call at what times for which kinds of objects.    -   Duplication of effort. Although class libraries allow        programmers to use and reuse many small pieces of code, each        programmer puts those pieces together in a different way. Two        different programmers can use the same set of class libraries to        write two programs that do exactly the same thing but whose        internal structure (i.e., design) may be quite different,        depending on hundreds of small decisions each programmer makes        along the way. Inevitably, similar pieces of code end up doing        similar things in slightly different ways and do not work as        well together as they should.

Class libraries are very flexible. As programs grow more complex, moreprogrammers are forced to reinvent basic solutions to basic problemsover and over again. A relatively new extension of the class libraryconcept is to have a framework of class libraries. This framework ismore complex and consists of significant collections of collaboratingclasses that capture both the small-scale patterns and major mechanismsthat implement the common requirements and design in a specificapplication domain. They were first developed to free applicationprogrammers from the chores involved in displaying menus, windows,dialog boxes, and other standard user interface elements for personalcomputers.

Frameworks also represent a change in the way programmers think aboutthe interaction between the code they write and code written by others.In the early days of procedural programming, the programmer calledlibraries provided by the operating system to perform certain tasks, butbasically the program executed down the page from start to finish, andthe programmer was solely responsible for the flow of control. This wasappropriate for printing out paychecks, calculating a mathematicaltable, or solving other problems with a program that executed in justone way.

The development of graphical user interfaces began to turn thisprocedural programming arrangement inside out. These interfaces allowthe user, rather than program logic, to drive the program and decidewhen certain actions should be performed. Today, most personal computersoftware accomplishes this by means of an event loop which monitors themouse, keyboard, and other sources of external events and calls theappropriate parts of the programmer's code according to actions that theuser performs. The programmer no longer determines the order in whichevents occur. Instead, a program is divided into separate pieces thatare called at unpredictable times and in an unpredictable order. Byrelinquishing control in this way to users, the developer creates aprogram that is much easier to use. Nevertheless, individual pieces ofthe program written by the developer still call libraries provided bythe operating system to accomplish certain tasks, and the programmermust still determine the flow of control within each piece after it'scalled by the event loop. Application code still “sits on top of” thesystem.

Even event loop programs require programmers to write a lot of code thatshould not need to be written separately for every application. Theconcept of an application framework carries the event loop conceptfurther. Instead of dealing with all the nuts and bolts of constructingbasic menus, windows, and dialog boxes and then making these things allwork together, programmers using application frameworks start withworking application code and basic user interface elements in place.Subsequently, they build from there by replacing some of the genericcapabilities of the framework with the specific capabilities of theintended application.

Application frameworks reduce the total amount of code that a programmerhas to write from scratch. However, because the framework is really ageneric application that displays windows, supports copy and paste, andso on, the programmer can also relinquish control to a greater degreethan event loop programs permit. The framework code takes care of almostall event handling and flow of control, and the programmer's code iscalled only when the framework needs it (e.g., to create or manipulate aproprietary data structure).

A programmer writing a framework program not only relinquishes controlto the user (as is also true for event loop programs), but alsorelinquishes the detailed flow of control within the program to theframework. This approach allows the creation of more complex systemsthat work together in interesting ways, as opposed to isolated programs,having custom code, being created over and over again for similarproblems.

Thus, as is explained above, a framework basically is a collection ofcooperating classes that make up a reusable design solution for a givenproblem domain. It typically includes objects that provide defaultbehavior (e.g., for menus and windows), and programmers use it byinheriting some of that default behavior and overriding other behaviorso that the framework calls application code at the appropriate times.

There are three main differences between frameworks and class libraries:

-   -   Behavior versus protocol. Class libraries are essentially        collections of behaviors that you can call when you want those        individual behaviors in your program. A framework, on the other        hand, provides not only behavior but also the protocol or set of        rules that govern the ways in which behaviors can be combined,        including rules for what a programmer is supposed to provide        versus what the framework provides.    -   Call versus override. With a class library, the code the        programmer instantiates objects and calls their member        functions. It's possible to instantiate and call objects in the        same way with a framework (i.e., to treat the framework as a        class library), but to take full advantage of a framework's        reusable design, a programmer typically writes code that        overrides and is called by the framework. The framework manages        the flow of control among its objects. Writing a program        involves dividing responsibilities among the various pieces of        software that are called by the framework rather than specifying        how the different pieces should work together.    -   Implementation versus design. With class libraries, programmers        reuse only implementations, whereas with frameworks, they reuse        design. A framework embodies the way a family of related        programs or pieces of software work. It represents a generic        design solution that can be adapted to a variety of specific        problems in a given domain. For example, a single framework can        embody the way a user interface works, even though two different        user interfaces created with the same framework might solve        quite different interface problems.

Thus, through the development of frameworks for solutions to variousproblems and programming tasks, significant reductions in the design anddevelopment effort for software can be achieved. A preferred embodimentof the invention utilizes HyperText Markup Language (HTML) to implementdocuments on the Internet together with a general-purpose securecommunication protocol for a transport medium between the client and theNewco. HTTP or other protocols could be readily substituted for HTMLwithout undue experimentation. Information on these products isavailable in T. Berners-Lee, D. Connoly, “RFC 1866: Hypertext MarkupLanguage-2.0” (November 1995); and R. Fielding, H, Frystyk, T.Berners-Lee, J. Gettys and J. C. Mogul, “Hypertext TransferProtocol—HTTP/1.1: HTTP Working Group Internet Draft” (May 2, 1996).HTML is a simple data format used to create hypertext documents that areportable from one platform to another. HTML documents are SGML documentswith generic semantics that are appropriate for representing informationfrom a wide range of domains. HTML has been in use by the World-Wide Webglobal information initiative since 1990. HTML is an application of ISOStandard 8879; 1986 Information Processing Text and Office Systems;Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML).

To date, Web development tools have been limited in their ability tocreate dynamic Web applications which span from client to server andinteroperate with existing computing resources. Until recently, HTML hasbeen the dominant technology used in development of Web-based solutions.However, HTML has proven to be inadequate in the following areas:

-   -   Poor performance;    -   Restricted user interface capabilities;    -   Can only produce static Web pages;    -   Lack of interoperability with existing applications and data;        and    -   Inability to scale.

Sun Microsystem's Java language solves many of the client-side problemsby:

-   -   Improving performance on the client side;    -   Enabling the creation of dynamic, real-time Web applications;        and    -   Providing the ability to create a wide variety of user interface        components.

With Java, developers can create robust User Interface (UI) components.Custom “widgets” (e.g., real-time stock tickers, animated icons, etc.)can be created, and client-side performance is improved. Unlike HTML,Java supports the notion of client-side validation, offloadingappropriate processing onto the client for improved performance.Dynamic, real-time Web pages can be created. Using the above-mentionedcustom UI components, dynamic Web pages can also be created.

Sun's Java language has emerged as an industry-recognized language for“programming the Internet.” Sun defines Java as: “a simple,object-oriented, distributed, interpreted, robust, secure,architecture-neutral, portable, high-performance, multithreaded,dynamic, buzzword-compliant, general-purpose programming language. Javasupports programming for the Internet in the form ofplatform-independent Java applets.” Java applets are small, specializedapplications that comply with Sun's Java Application ProgrammingInterface (API) allowing developers to add “interactive content” to Webdocuments (e.g., simple animations, page adornments, basic games, etc.).Applets execute within a Java-compatible browser (e.g., NetscapeNavigator) by copying code from the server to client. From a languagestandpoint, Java's core feature set is based on C++. Sun's Javaliterature states that Java is basically, “C++ with extensions fromObjective C for more dynamic method resolution.”

Another technology that provides similar function to JAVA is provided byMicrosoft and ActiveX Technologies, to give developers and Web designerswherewithal to build dynamic content for the Internet and personalcomputers. ActiveX includes tools for developing animation, 3-D virtualreality, video and other multimedia content. The tools use Internetstandards, work on multiple platforms, and are being supported by over100 companies. The group's building blocks are called ActiveX Controls,small, fast components that enable developers to embed parts of softwarein hypertext markup language (HTML) pages. ActiveX Controls work with avariety of programming languages including Microsoft Visual C++, BorlandDelphi, Microsoft Visual Basic programming system and, in the future,Microsoft's development tool for Java, code named “Jakarta.” ActiveXTechnologies also includes ActiveX Server Framework, allowing developersto create server applications. One of ordinary skill in the art readilyrecognizes that ActiveX could be substituted for JAVA without undueexperimentation to practice the invention.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

1. A method for handling unregistered callers in a voice recognitionframework, comprising: determining whether a user is registered;executing a registration process if it is determined that the user isnot registered; and receiving and recognizing utterances representativeof information from the user during the registration process, whereinthe receiving is carried out utilizing an input device; wherein theinformation includes billing information; wherein the billinginformation is selected from the group consisting of a billing addressand credit card data, where the billing address includes a city in whichthe user resides; wherein the information further includes at least onephone number of the user; wherein the determining whether a user isregistered includes gathering information relating to the user from afirst database and comparing the information against a second databaseof registered users; wherein directions are given to the user explainingthe registration process and another process by which the user exits theregistration process such that the user is capable of exiting theregistration process at any time during the registration process uponreceipt and detection of a predefined keyword uttered by the user;wherein the executing the registration process includes establishing aunique user account number for the user where the unique user accountnumber is utilized for storing the information, and establishing apersonal identification number for the user where the personalidentification number is utilized for security purposes; wherein theregistration process includes returning the user to a main menu afterthe registration process is complete or upon receipt and detection ofthe keyword; wherein the handling unregistered callers is managed by aplatform including a presentation layer, an application logic layer, aninformation access services layer, and a telecom infrastructure; whereinthe application logic layer includes a set of reusable applicationcomponents and a software engine for the execution thereof, theapplication logic layer further including an application server, and aVoiceXML interpreter, the application server adapted for hosting logicof applications providing services, and the VoiceXML interpreter adaptedfor executing VoiceXML applications; wherein the presentation layerprovides for communication with the user and includes a telephonyserver, a speech recognition server, and a text-to-speech server, thetelephony server adapted for providing an interface for receiving voicestreams from the user, the speech recognition server adapted forproviding speech recognition of the voice streams provided by thetelephony server, and the text-to-speech server adapted for transformingtext input into audio output that is streamed through the telephonyserver to the user.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein theinformation includes a gender of the user.
 3. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein the information includes preferences.
 4. The method asrecited in claim 3, wherein the preferences are selected from the groupconsisting of personalization information, data relating to a stockportfolio of the user, and sports of interest to the user.
 5. The methodas recited in claim 3, wherein the preferences include personalizationinformation, data relating to a stock portfolio of the user, and sportsof interest to the user.
 6. The method as recited in claim 1, whereinthe information is entered by the user utilizing a computer coupled to anetwork.
 7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the networkincludes the Internet.
 8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein theinformation is entered verbally utilizing a telephone by way of anattendant.
 9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the informationis used when providing the services.
 10. The method as recited in claim1, and further comprising presenting promotion information to the userduring the registration process.
 11. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein the executing the registration process includes receiving anaccount number that identifies a telecommunication carrier from whichthe user was transferred to the registration process.
 12. The method asrecited in claim 1, wherein the services are selected by the user andare chosen from the group consisting of a business finder service, adriving directions service, a flight information service, a trafficupdates service, a weather service, a news service, a sports informationservice, a stock quote service and an infotainment service.
 13. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein the information access serviceslayer includes a content service, the content service adapted to managethe first database and the second database and to send alarms based onalarm conditions.
 14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein theinformation access services layer provides access to modular value-addedservices and includes at least one of a user profile service, a billingservice, and a portal management service, the user profile serviceadapted to provide user information upon an authenticated request, thebilling service adapted to capture and process billable eventsassociated with the user, and the portal management service adapted tomaintain the information on a voice portal associated with the user,where the voice portal is capable of being configured by the user toadminister the applications providing the services that are selected bythe user.
 15. A computer program product embodied on a computer readablemedium for handling unregistered callers in a voice recognitionframework, comprising: computer code for determining whether a user isregistered; computer code for executing a registration process if it isdetermined that the user is not registered; and computer code forreceiving and recognizing utterances representative of information fromthe user during the registration process; wherein the informationincludes billing information; wherein the billing information isselected from the group consisting of a billing address and credit carddata; wherein the information further includes at least one phone numberof the user; wherein the determining whether a user is registeredincludes gathering information relating to the user from a firstdatabase and comparing the information against a second database ofregistered users; wherein directions are given to the user explainingthe registration process; wherein the executing the registration processincludes establishing a user account number for the user where the useraccount number is utilized in association with storing the information,and establishing a personal identification number for the user where thepersonal identification number is utilized for security purposes;wherein the handling unregistered callers is managed by a platformincluding a presentation layer, an application logic layer, aninformation access services layer, and a telecom infrastructure; whereinthe application logic layer includes a set of reusable applicationcomponents and a software engine for the execution thereof, theapplication logic layer further including an application component, anda VoiceXML interpreter, the application component adapted for hostinglogic of applications providing services, and the VoiceXML interpreteradapted for executing VoiceXML applications; wherein the presentationlayer provides for communication with the user and includes a telephonycomponent, a speech recognition component, and a text-to-speechcomponent, the telephony component adapted for providing an interfacefor receiving voice streams from the user, the speech recognitioncomponent adapted for providing speech recognition of the voice streamsprovided by the telephony component, and the text-to-speech componentadapted for transforming text input into audio output that is streamedthrough the telephony component to the user.
 16. A system including acomputer program product embodied on a computer readable medium forhandling unregistered callers in a voice recognition framework,comprising: a processor for executing a registration process if it isdetermined that a user is not registered; and an input device coupled tothe processor for receiving utterances from the user; wherein theinformation includes billing information; wherein the billinginformation is selected from the group consisting of a billing addressand credit card data, where the billing address includes a city in whichthe user resides; wherein the information further includes at least onephone number of the user; wherein the determining whether a user isregistered includes gathering information relating to the user from afirst database and comparing the information against a second databaseof registered users; wherein directions are given to the user explainingthe registration process and another process by which the user exits theregistration process such that the user is capable of exiting theregistration process at any time during the registration process uponreceipt and detection of a predefined keyword uttered by the user;wherein the executing the registration process includes establishing aunique user account number for the user where the unique user accountnumber is utilized for storing the information, and establishing apersonal identification number for the user where the personalidentification number is utilized for security purposes; wherein theregistration process includes returning the user to a main menu afterthe registration process is complete or upon receipt and detection ofthe keyword; wherein the handling unregistered callers is managed by aplatform including a presentation layer, an application logic layer, aninformation access services layer, and a telecom infrastructure; whereinthe application logic layer includes a set of reusable applicationcomponents and a software engine for the execution thereof, theapplication logic layer further including an application server, and aVoiceXML interpreter, the application server adapted for hosting logicof applications providing services, and the VoiceXML interpreter adaptedfor executing VoiceXML applications; wherein the presentation layerprovides for communication with the user and includes a telephonyserver, a speech recognition server, and a text-to-speech server, thetelephony server adapted for providing an interface for receiving voicestreams from the user, the speech recognition server adapted forproviding speech recognition of the voice streams provided by thetelephony server, and the text-to-speech server adapted for transformingtext input into audio output that is streamed through the telephonyserver to the user.
 17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein theinformation relating to the user is gathered via call descriptionrecords.